


By your side

by reason33



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Family Feels, Fluff, Gen, Jos Verstappen's A+ Parenting, Protective Siblings, Sibling Love, Softness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:33:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26121214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reason33/pseuds/reason33
Summary: Max is enjoying a nice start to the winter break at Daniels house with a couple of the other drivers when his step-mom calls and throws the evening plans into disarray.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first F1 fanfiction, so please don't be too hard on me.  
> I had these thoughts of Max just being an awesome big brother and had an idea I really wanted to write and here we are...
> 
> This is playing at the end of the 2016 season, but I put the Australian GP at the end because I kinda want them to all spend some time there...  
> I also decided to make Max's sister a few years older.  
> And I'm basically ignoring language difference and let them all talk English XD

It was the start of their winter break, after finishing their last race and most of the drivers decided to celebrate the end of the season together at Daniels house before they'd all fly home the next day. Daniel pleasantly surprised Max by inviting him over, given the were only teammates for half a season and not everything did exactly go as planned, but Max accepted the invitation nevertheless. His dad, step-mom and little sister were staying at a hotel not too far away, but since family can be exhausting sometimes the dutchman decided it would be a welcome change of scenery.

He was in the middle of a discussion with Daniil and Carlos when his phone started ringing. Apologizing he stood up and took the call coming from his step-mom.

"Hey Kelly, what's up?" he answers while walking a few steps away from everyone else. Even though she was his dad's wife and they got along quite nicely Max told her from the beginning of her relationship with his dad that he wouldn't call her mom. He already had a mom in Sophie and didn't need another one, which Kelly accepted instantly.

"Hello, Max! Could you do me a huge favor and take care of Blue Jaye for a while?" Max started to frown at the question, not because he didn't want to look after his little sister, but because something in Kelly's voice just sounded off.

"Is everything okay?" he responds instead of answering her question.

Kelly hesitates for a second before explaining: "It's just Jos... He is having a bad day and I'm pretty sure he has been drinking. Not that I don't trust him around Blue Jaye, I'd just rather not have her around while he is in one of his moods, especially when we're staying at a hotel, where you can't really avoid each other."

The explanation makes Max sigh. He knows his father's moods all too well and even though the explanation makes sense, it does raise one question: "You want to talk to him about it, right? And you don't want Blue Jaye around when you confront him because you're afraid he'll get angry.."

The silence that greets him now answers everything. He wouldn't want to have his sister around Jos during that confrontation as well. Kelly asked him about his opinion a few weeks ago, Jos has been having his bad days more often. He'll be in a sour mood all day and get angry at you for nothing. Not that he'd become violent, at least most of the time, but when it's one of these days you better keep a distance. At one point Kelly decided it was enough and discussed sending Jos to a therapist with Max. While he totally agreed that it would be a very good idea for his dad to talk to somebody and learn how to keep his anger in check, the teenager is also pretty sure that Jos won't be happy to hear about that.

"Yeah, sure, I'll come by and pick her up, don't worry and keep me updated!"

"Thank you very much, Max. I'll send you the address. See you," and with that she hung up.

Max sighs once again and runs a hand through his hair. He could only hope that Jos would take the offer the right way.

He makes his way towards the kitchen, where he spotted Daniel talking with the Hulk and Lewis earlier, the Aussie is still there, now talking to Lewis and Seb while preparing some snacks. When his teammate spots him, he sends him a smile accompanied by a: "Hey Maxy, are you already sunburned or why are you in here again?"

Max chuckles and shakes his head at the comment, wondering how the Aussie manages to get along with everyone so easily.

He stops next to the older drivers and says: "Nah, I gotta go and pick my little sister up."

Daniel's face becomes serious as he answers: "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah. My dad is just in one of his moods where you don't want an energetic 8-year-old running around him. Her mom just called and asked if I could watch her for some time"

"Alright, when will you be back?" the worry in Dan's voice is slight but unmistakable, probably an effect of all the rumors going around about Jos and his parenting style, still the question takes him by surprise.

"Uhm, are you sure you want me to come back here with an 8-year-old?"

"Totally, just because you need to watch over your sister doesn't mean I don't want you here. Just bring her along, I'm sure it'll be just fine!"

After Max hesitates for a second, Sebastion adds: "Daniel is right. Just bring her here. I'm sure she'll have fun and there are a lot of drivers who can entertain her."

The dutchman sends both drivers a thankful smile. "Thanks, really. I'll be back in half an hour or so," and with that he walks towards his car, which is parked outside the house.

___

About fifteen minutes later he arrives at the address Kelly send him beforehand, it's a small park not too far away from the hotel they are staying at and Max can already spot his sister running around the playground and walks towards the bench Kelly is sitting at. He doesn't even make it halfway to his destination when Blue Jaye spots him and comes shouting towards him.

"Maaaaaaaaax!" he bows down to pick the bundle of energy up as soon as she reaches him and she just throws her arms and legs around him, giving him a full-body hug, making the teenager laugh in the process. He can see Kelly smiling fondly as she makes her way towards him.

"As if she hasn't seen you just before the race," she laughs at the blonde girl, who still refuses to let go of Max.

Together they make their way out of the park and towards Max's car. He opens the back door and Blue Jaye climbs in immediately, always loving when she's able to drive with her brother. Kelly places a backpack next to her, gives her a kiss and bids goodbye before closing the door and turning towards Max.

"Thank you again, Max. You're really taking a load off my shoulders, I hope I'm not destroying your evening by doing this, but it's about time for me to talk to Jos."

"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't want her to witness that conversation anyways. Just take care of yourself as well and contact me if you need anything else."

"You're a good man, Max," Kelly says and gives him a short hug.

"I'll text you the address where I'm staying. Just in case."

And with that, they bid their goodbyes and Max is back on his way with his sister battering him about everything and nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting. It's what makes my day always a little better!
> 
> This is actually my first attempt ever at writing fluff, but I gotta say it was quite fun writing it. There will probably be some Angst coming in the next chapter though, so be aware.

Max hardly parked the car and opened his own door to get out, when Blue Jaye was already bouncing next to him in anticipation.

"Come on Maaax, you're too slow. I want to check out the pool and I wanna see Daniel again, he is fun! Is everyone else as funny as he is? Or are they all grumpy? Can I have something to eat? But no vegetables, I don't like vegetables. Does Daniel have pets? What are you planning on doing? Can I stay up late today?"

The endless flow of questions makes Max want to sigh and laugh at the same time and he wonders if he was the same when he was younger. Instead of answering any of her questions probably he just settles on a simple "You'll see," before he starts walking towards the entrance, his sister keeping up even if her legs are way shorter than his.

"I want to ring the bell!" Blue Jaye suddenly yells and before Max can say anything, she threw her little backpack towards Max, ran off, and rang the bell, bouncing up and down on the doorstep. The door opens just as Max joins his sister, revealing a brightly smiling Daniel, who immediately found himself with an armful of Blue Jaye, hanging on him like a koala.

"Max said I'll spend the evening with you guys, isn't that awesome? We can party all night long!" She says and makes the Aussie chuckle.

"Hello to you too, Blue Jaye. It's nice to see you again. Why don't we go in? Most of the drivers don't even know you'll be joining us, so we can surprise them all!" Daniel answers, still smiling, and sets the 8-year-old down again.

"Yes, I like surprises!" Blue Jaye exclaims and takes Max's hand, dragging him along and past their host, who seems to enjoy the scene he is seeing, smiling fondly at the little girl.

The first couple is standing in the kitchen and Blue Jaye immediately walks towards them, still not letting go of Max's hand.

She stops next to them, waits until their attention is on her, and announces: "Hey, I'm Blue Jaye. I'm Max's sister and I'm here to party with you guys." Her statement draws chuckles out of the two men standing in front of her and Max finds himself wanting to facepalm and laugh at the same time. Honestly, how could you not love that self-confident bundle of energy?

"Well, it's very nice to meet you. My name is Nico."

"You're off to a good start, meeting the best people at the start. My name is Nico as well and I'm looking forward to partying with you!" The Hulk's answer makes Max chuckle again, of course, they had to meet the two people with the same name at first.

Blue Jaye glances between the two blondes standing in front of her before she turns around to her brother, eyes wide. "They have the same name... Did you ever want to call one of them and then called the other one by accident? And if you say Nico, how do they know who you mean?"

The pure innocence of Blue Jaye's questions makes all of them laugh before Max answers: "Well, he goes by Hulk, and no I never called the wrong Nico on accident."

"Hulk? Like in the Avengers? The green guy?" is the immediate answer and the dutchman doesn't even question why an 8-year-old has seen that movie, before another driver steps into the kitchen.

"You must be the infamous little sister of Max," Lewis says as he stops next to her. "I'm Lewis."

"Blue Jaye. You're the guy that keeps winning races, aren't you? You should let Max win a few, I don't want him to be sad."

Lewis chuckles and sends Max a warm smile before answering: "I think your brother will manage to win a few races next year without me having to slow down."

"You're right. He is going to be World Champion one day, because he is the best driver out there, right Max?"

She turns around to look at him expectantly and Max finds himself searching for words for a few seconds, not expecting such a statement. "As long as you're wishing me luck, I don't see what could go wrong!" He winks and her whole face just beams with pure joy.

But it doesn't last long as laughter from outside fills the room.

"I want to meet the rest of the guys. Come on Max!" Blue Jaye exclaims excitedly and is already on her way towards Daniel's patio. Max just sighs and shrugs apologetically, receiving three warm smiles in return. He places the backpack next to the kitchen isle, not wanting to carry it all the time and by the time he walks out of the house, Blue Jaye is already talking to Carlos, Daniil, and Sebastian.

When Carlos spots him he says: "Hey Mate, why didn't you tell us you'd bring your sister?"

Max just shrugs his shoulders: "I didn't plan to bring her. It kinda just happened."

"Say, how can you two share the same genes, given how cute and adorable Blue Jaye is, and then there is you..." Seb trails off, smirking at him mischievously, making the adults around him chuckle.

"There is nobody, who is as cute as me, but Max is a close second!" Blue Jaye states seriously, earning herself more smiles, and Max ruffles her hair, once again searching for the right words to respond to his sister.

It doesn't take long until Blue Jaye spots something in Carlos' hands though, her eyes going wide as she asks: "There is ice cream? Max? Can I have some? Pleeeeaaaseeee?!"

"Sure, let's go ask Dan if he still has some."

"Yay," the blonde shouts enthusiastically and jumps up, already running towards the door, but turning around and coming back, after seeing that Max isn't as fast. She walks up to him, takes his hand, and says: "You're too slow Max!"

The dutchman just chuckles as response and proceeds to walk extremely slowly, causing Blue Jaye to let go of his hand and walking behind him to push him forwards. Obviously, he doesn't walk even a bit faster, causing the girl to whine and use her whole body weight, trying to push him forwards, to no avail.

"Come on, Max. Ice cream! You're walking like an old man"

"Did you just call me an old man?" Max asks playfully and before his sister can respond, he already reached out, grabbing her by her waist and easily throwing her over his shoulder. But he doesn't stop there, immediately starting to tickle the now defenseless 8-year-old, making her giggle and squirm in his grip.

"Stoop....I'm sorry...you're not old...just slow!" The girl exclaims in between her giggles, making Max just tickle her even harder.

"I could just throw you in the pool instead of getting some ice cream, you know?" he threatens playfully even though he is still walking towards the kitchen.

"Noo. I'm sorry. I give up! You're not slow! You're super fast!"

"I'll take that!" Max says, a smile on his face as he sets his sister down in front of Daniel and the two Nicos, who have been watching the scene with huge smiles on their faces.

"What can I do for you, Blue Jaye?" Daniel asks politely while crouching down in front of her.

"I heard that you have ice cream!"

"That is correct!"

"Then why aren't we eating any?"

Once again her statement makes everybody laugh, Max being the first one to regain himself and saying: "That is a good question, but is that really the way you ask for something?"

"Right, I forgot. Please, sir, Mister Daniel, would you be so nice to give me some ice cream? Pleeaasee?"

The Aussie just chuckles and lifts her up, opening the door to the freezer: "There you go, that's all I have. Which one would you like?"

"That one please!"

After Daniel gave her the ice cream, Blue Jaye just thanks him and tells Max that she'll be outside, by the pool, waiting for her slow brother to catch up and Max just shakes his head, smiling fondly, because she is out the door before he can respond. But since the other three drivers are out there anyways, Max doesn't rush to get out as well. Turning around, still smiling he exclaims: "Gosh, I love that girl!"

"I guess, by now all of us do. She is just a little sunshine filling the room with pure innocence and happiness as soon as she steps in!" Dan agrees before the four of them decide to join the others outside.


	3. Chapter 3

Having an 8-year-old crash your party sounds way less entertaining as it turned out to be. After receiving her ice cream, eating it in record time and pouting when Max said she couldn't have more because Daniel was making a barbeque she decided to wait until Max wasn't paying attention, took a run-up and used the momentum to push her unaware brother into the pool. For the first few seconds everyone just looked at them, Max, fully clothed in the pool and his little sister laughing at him from the edge. Then everyone started laughing, but as soon as Blue Jaye caught glimpse of the evil smirk on Max's face, she turned around and hid behind Daniel, trying to get as much space between her and her brother as possible.

Max just calmly swam to the edge of the pool and heaved himself out, not caring about his wet clothes as he started walking towards Blue Jaye, saying: "Don't hide! I'm not mad!" The smirk and glint in his eyes giving away that he was planning something, so Blue Jaye took off. The result of Max chasing her obviously ended in him catching his sister, given his long legs and faster pace. As soon as he was in reach, he wrapped his arms around her, making sure to drop as much water as possible. Blue Jaye squirmed and giggled, but had no chance against her older brother. To top it off he threw her in the pool as well, accompanied by a checky: "Now we're quit."

What he definitely didn't expect was Daniel showing up behind him and throwing him in the pool again, since he "just couldn't do that to his little sister." Then all hell broke loose, the present drivers, being influenced by the joy and innocence of Blue Jaye's behavior, started pushing each other into the pool until nobody was left dry. They continued to have a playful water fight in the pool, everybody enjoying making Blue Jaye laugh, as it's one of the most innocence things in the world and at the same time it was just a lot of fun to let the little kid inside of them out once in a while.

A few minutes later, everybody changed clothes and all of them sat together enjoying the food Daniel did not forget about while having a water fight with Lewis and Sebastian. The sun was already setting when Max, Lewis, and Sebastian volunteered to help Daniel carry the used plates inside and cleaning the kitchen just a bit in comfortable silence.

"You know, I think it was a good thing you brought Blue Jaye along!" Sebastian is the one to break the silence, causing Max to stop from where he had been cleaning the plates and makes him look up.

"Huh?" Was the very intelligent answer he came up with.

"I mean, everybody who is a dad will be able to tell you that, but kids can just bring out the best in us, they make us forget about everything that's going on around, you know. I think that's the happiest and most childish I've ever seen most of the drivers, apart from Dan of course," he continued, earning himself a light punch from Daniel at the end.

"Seb is right," Lewis continues: "And I think I've never seen you so relaxed before, Max. It's nice to see that side of you and not just the competitive driver."

Lewis's statement makes Max blush and he looks outside to see Blue Jaye laughing at Carlos, his eyes not leaving her movements as he replies: "Yeah, I guess she just does that to people. She is still so young and carefree, bringing joy wherever she goes. And all that energy she carries around, I don't want her to grow up and be thrown into a world that tends to put too much pressure on young people. Of others constantly criticizing you. I want her to stay like that for a long time and enjoy her childhood as long as she can."

He blushes again after realizing what he just said and how deep he made the conversation drift off. "Ahh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Max didn't get further than that, looking at the knowing faces of his fellow drivers.

"I guess that's what family is all about, isn't it?" he says after swallowing hard, trying to shrug it off, but his chest is feeling a bit tighter than before.

"As an older brother and now also father, I can only agree there," Seb answers, and the other two nod in unison, though it's obvious the older drivers have something on their minds, they're not saying it out loud...yet.

"Just watch out for her, I think the two of you are good for each other!" Daniel pats Max's shoulder and smiles when he sees Blue Jaye waves at Max, urging him to come back out again.

"Oh, believe me, I will!" Max answers reassuringly and full of confidence before he walks out of the house again, a smile tugging at his lips as he sits down next to his sister again, who immediately includes him in the conversation she and Carlos were having.

What he didn't notice though were the worried glances the three drivers in the kitchen were giving each other. Not many people know, but they're pretty good friends outside the tracks and they spend quite a lot of time together and some may even say they act like the parents of the group, even though they are three people and not just two, but hey, it's a big and crazy family anyways.  
But ever since Max joined the Formula 1 family, they kept an eye on him, and not just because he was a dangerous enemy on track, everybody knew that anyways. No, they've heard the rumors about Max's family and his childhood, things they normally would just ignore but something about Max behavior just gave them these feelings of having to watch out for him and it's not just his young age that made them act that way. Yes, he acts very mature for his age, at least most of the time, and he has matured even more since joining F1, but they always had this uneasy feeling, especially when Jos was around.

Max has always been this mystery to them and today was meant to get to know him a little better, like a lost family member coming back home again, they just want to watch out for him and show him that they'll always be there for him. Today's events didn't exactly ease things though, it just adds a layer to what Max lets the world see and how he really is. Because even though he seems to be the perfect older brother, who'd try everything to protect his sister, his statement was giving them mixed feelings and they can't help but wonder if there is a story lying underneath that protective instinct...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had quite some trouble writing this one, I'm not completely happy with it, but I don't know how else to write it...  
> Let me know what you think of the story so far.
> 
> Also, there will be one or two more chapters to come, we'll see how it goes.  
> Until then, stay safe out there!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long, but life happened, as always.  
> And why is writing the easiest late at night? Like why do I have to stay up late to continue my stories? It's kinda annoying.

The drivers were once again seated outside enjoying the last rays of sunshine and talking. Blue Jaye was sitting between Daniel and Max throwing her arms around while trying to explain something when Max phone started ringing, given their positions Blue Jaye saw the caller's name as soon as Max pulled his phone out of his pants, she immediately took hold of the phone and answered it before Max could do anything.

"Hey mom, are you joining our party? It's really cool here and Daniel has ice cream," the 8-year-old said enthusiastically. The response though, was a wobbly: "Hello Blue Jaye, I'm glad to hear that you're having fun. I'm afraid I won't be able to come though..."

Blue Jaye frowns, making Daniel throw Max a worried look as the girl says: "Are you okay, mommy? You sound sad!"

"I just miss you, that's it. Would you be so kind and give your brother his phone, I need to talk to him about some boring grown-up stuff again." Max, having listened to the conversation, held out his hand and Blue Jaye handed him the phone reluctantly.

"Hey, Kelly, what can I do for you?" the dutchman answers the phone while standing up to bring some distance between him and everyone else, after all, he is expecting an update on the situation around his father and he doesn't want Blue Jaye to hear about that. In the meantime Daniel brought it on himself to distract the bouncy 8-year-old next to him, guessing that his teammate needed some privacy.

"I...uhm...I talked to Jos, about seeing a therapist and he didn't take it quite well..." Kelly explained emotionally and Max closes his eyes for a second, he didn't expect his dad to have the best reaction to that anyways, but Kelly's emotional voice just sounds alarming.

"What happened, Kellly? Did he hurt you? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay, thank you, Max. And no, he didn't hurt me. But he got pretty angry and he started yelling, I didn't feel safe around him anymore, so I grabbed my things and told him that if he wanted to keep this relationship, he'd have to go to therapy and then I left."

Max let out a shaky breath, he knew how scary his dad could be sometimes: "Okay. So, what's your plan now?"

They continued to talk for a few more minutes, Kelly telling him about her plan and asking to watch out for Blue Jay just a little longer before she hung up, having to plan quite a few things. After the call ended, Max just stood there for a second, thinking about what just happened and running a hand through his hair before going back to the others. Luckily, the other drivers kept an eye on Max and were able to tell that his conversation wasn't the most pleasant one to have and they distracted Blue Jaye in the meantime as well.

As Max returned to the table, Blue Jaye immediately asked about her mom and Max answered: "Your mom has a lot of things to take care of, so you'll have to stick with me until tomorrow morning." The teenager tried to look happy and not let any of his worries seep through his words and it seemed to have worked since Blue Jaye with a simple okay, giving Max a big smile.

Suddenly Carlos and Daniil stand up and the Spaniard says: "Blue Jaye, I've heard that there are Alpakas not too far away, do you want to go and see if we'll find them?"

That causes the girl to smile even bigger, she takes Carlos' hand, but turns around to look at Max again: "Are you coming as well?"

"Nah, I think I'll stay here for a while, give you some time to recharge bevor you have to deal with me again!"

Blue Jaye giggles and then turns around to walk away with the two Torro Rosso drivers.

Just as the dutchman wants to sit down next to Daniel again, his phone starts ringing again, this time it's his dad. He sighs, apologizes, and moves away again before answering the phone: "Hey Dad, what's up?"

"Don't act like an innocent bystander, Max. I know that you and Kelly had this planned out for a while, do you really think I'm that stupid? Taking care of Blue Jaye while Kelly talks to me? You don't really think, I'd go and see a bloody therapist, do you? Because I'm not a fuck-up, you hear me? I'm not some weak-ass baby that needs to talk to somebody about his feelings. After all, I've done for you, that's how you pay me back? Talking about me behind my back? Just because I'm having a drink here and there? I mean, what do you expect me to do after all I have to deal with a wife and son who want to destroy me completely. But that won't work, you hear me? Fuck that bitch and you as well, don't you dare come running back to me, when you realize that you are nothing without me. Honestly, I'm done with both of you! I can just hope you're not destroying my little Blue Jaye as well and turn her into a brat like you are!"

By the time Jos finished his rant, Max was shaking with anger and hurt, balling his fist and pacing around, trying to answer as calm as possible and not let any emotion show through: "If that's what you want, I'm not going to try and convince you otherwise. Just know that you aren't going to see Blue Jaye anytime soon if you keep acting like that! We're not trying to harm you in any way, if anything we're trying to help you. Maybe you'll realize that some day."

"So you're not just a treacherous idiot, but also a pathetic liar!"

Max interrupts his dad before he can shout any more insults his way: "You know what, do what you want! But don't call me until you're sober and really want to sort things out. You're my dad and I love you, but you can't continue this way!" With that, the teenager hangs up. He crouches down and presses his fingers to the bridge of his nose, trying to calm his nerves a little, before standing back up and walking back towards the table, where the older drivers are watching him with worried looks.

"What's wrong, Mate?" Daniel asks the question probably everyone on this table is asking themselves.

"My dad...he...uh..." Max tries to form a sentence but stops when the emotions threaten to take over as tears are welling up. He shakes his head and presses his palms against his eyes to keep the tears in, taking int a shuddering breath and hating how weak he is feeling.

Daniel just slings and arm around him and rubs comforting circles on his shoulder as Seb says: "It's okay. We're here for you if you want to talk. We may be rivals on the track, but off-track were just a big family and we care about everyone, so if you need anything and if it's just a shoulder to cry on or somebody to talk to, know that we're all here!"

The dutchman lets out a shaky laugh at that and looks at the German, his eyes clear again: "Thanks, Seb, really."

"So, you wanna tell us what that was all about?" Daniel asks cautiously and Max looks at the Aussie, their eyes meeting for a few seconds and the teenager can see nothing but worry and sincerity in them.

"I honestly don't know where to start..."

"Just take your time," Lewis tries to encourage him and after a few seconds and a deep breath, Max decides to just let it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, did I act like Max doesn't know where to start when in reality it's me? Absolutely! I'm really struggling to find the right words so I decided to end this chapter here, which turned out way longer than anticipated.
> 
> Expect more Angst in the next chapters, I just like to make my favorites feel bad, sorry not sorry...


	5. Chapter 5

Closing his eyes as he rests his head on his hand, Max tries to come up with a good way how to approach the situation. Maybe the older drivers will be able to help him or at least convince him that he is doing the right thing, because when it comes to his family, Max isn't all too sure about that anymore. Sometimes he finds himself longing for the good old days, before his dad's temper started to worsen before he divorced from his mom, but then again he reminds himself of all the arguments his parents had and how often he had to comfort Victoria and he wonders if there were good old days to think back to or if it's just a figment of his imagination.

He's always had trouble talking about his feelings much thanks to Jos again, who mostly just told him to man up and stop crying when he was a kid, which is probably the reason why it's so hard to find the right words at the moment. The others aren't pushing him or anything, they're just sitting there in silence and it somehow makes Max even more uncomfortable, as he feels like a deer in the headlights.

Luckily though, Daniel seems to have noticed his discomfort because he breaks the silence that's threatening to overwhelm Max: "We're not really making it any easier for you, are we?"

The dutchman just shakes his head, which is still resting in his hands, and keeps looking at the table, since eye contact would probably overwhelm him even more. Just as Daniel is about to reply to that gesture, a high-pitched laugh fills the air, causing everyone to look in the direction of Blue Jaye, who is sitting on Carlos' shoulders and feeding grass to an Alpaka, the animal most-likely being the source of her laughter. It's not much, but enough for Max to finally find the right words, once again being reminded of what he is actually fighting for.

"I never got to be like that!" he starts, once again causing everybody to bring their attention back to him, though he is still not making eye-contact, instead he keeps his eyes on his little sister, seemingly having the time of her life.

"Growing up with my dad was always more of a 'you need to man up' or 'stop crying you're not a baby', so I learned to keep my emotions in check, never let my dad know how I really felt because I didn't want him to call me names and say that I'm weak just because I was showing emotions. And for a long time it worked out quite well, we were pretty happy as long as I was his strong son, who didn't make mistakes and didn't let himself get guided by feelings. Especially to someone outside of my family, we looked like the amazing father and son duo, who got along perfectly. But at home, this facade started to crumble. My parent's marriage started going downhill and dad started having these moods. I've learned pretty quickly what and what not to do when he was in one of his moods or when he was having another argument with my mom and I've come to understand that as long as I pretend to be exactly like he wants me to, I'd avoid him getting mad at me. I was in Blue Jaye's age when I started to emotionally distance myself from pretty much everything but carting, if I was getting punished for something I just stood there and took it like a man, as my dad would say. When I made a mistake I dealt with the consequences and made sure something like that didn't happen again. I started reading my dad to know what the best way was to behave that day and it worked fucking awesome because I knew that I wasn't responsible for his outbursts, but I also knew how to behave when he had some." The teenager took a shaky breath as the emotions started bubbling up again and he really didn't want to start crying after all this time and for sure not in front of the other drivers.

"And the only thing you had to do to achieve that, is throw away your childhood because you basically started acting like a grown-up," Seb mumbles during Max's small pause. The dutchman sends him a small smile, knowing that the German understood what he was trying to say.

He nods and says: "Which is exactly what I'm trying to prevent from happening to her! And that kinda brought me into a tricky situation! Because when my dad met Kelly, Blue Jaye's mom, he hardly had his moods anymore and I thought it would stay that way. Yes, he still had his temper, but that's easier to deal with. Long story short, he was acting like a normal dad would, at least most of the time and then Kelly got pregnant, I got into Formula 1 and I got promoted to Red Bull, all of which increased his general mood. It was all going uphill until my grandfather decided to fuck it all up, just shortly after my promotion."

"You're talking about him accusing Jos of child abuse, which caused quite the scene, right?" Lewis asks and Max simply nods.

"Why did he do that though?" Daniel questions, disbelief filling his voice.

The teenager shrugs before replying: "I don't really know, my dad and granddad never really got along, I guess he just wanted to make people dislike Jos."

"And? Is it true? Did Jos abuse you as a child?" Nico Rosberg asks bluntly, earning himself a few 'wtf dude' looks from his fellow drivers.

"What? I mean after all Maxy here has told us, it wouldn't really surprise me anymore. And there is also the fact that there is something going on right now, or why do you think Blue Jaye crashed this little party?"   
The other drivers stay silent and once again everybody just turns their heads to look at Max again, making the teenager gulp.

"Well..." the dutchman was searching for words, trying to resolve the situation by explaining what's going on at the moment and at the same time searching for words to make sure the other drivers didn't think his dad was an abusive alcoholic or something. Judging by the looks of the other men, his break isn't exactly working in his favor right now, so he chooses to ignore half of the question and hope they forget about it.

"My dad...he...uh...The statement affected him pretty heavily and old rumors started to boil up again and my dad doesn't really know how to deal with that I guess, so he started drinking and when he is drunk it's best to just avoid him because he is pretty much unbearable and he is always starting arguments, he starts yelling and all in all he is just a mean drunk. Kelly tried to talk with him at first, but that only made it worse, and then she was asking me for advice, which I couldn't give her, obviously. I always avoided him, but she can hardly do that, since it's been getting worse and worse and no matter what happened he just seemed to spiral even further and a few weeks ago, Kelly decided to ask my dad to talk to a therapist when he had another outburst. It's been pretty quiet for a while, but today seemed to have triggered something because she decided that it was time. And because you don't really want an 8-year-old witness that argument, which was going to come because my dad would never talk to someone about his feelings...well she asked me to look out for Blue Jaye."

"And judging by the phone calls, it didn't really go well?" Seb asks tentatively.

"Not really. Kelly said she doesn't feel safe around him anymore and now she is looking for a flight to Belgium, where her parents live to distance herself and presumably get a divorce."

For a few seconds nobody moves or says anything before Daniel's worry-filled voice anxiously cut through the silence: "And the second call?"

Max turns his head to look at his teammates, they lock eyes, and Max's heart breaks, seeing the worried expression on the normally so cheerful Aussie. "Basically disowned me, saying we were plotting it all along..."

Again there is just silence following his statement and Max averts looking at the older drivers, not wanting to see their glum expressions.

"Wow, that's pretty heavy," Lewis finally mumbles.

"It must be pretty had for you to talk about that, but I wanna say that I feel honored that you trust us with this!" Sebastian states and the others mumble their agreements.

"Yes, Seb is correct. I really have to say that it's pretty safe to say everyone here cares for you and wants to protect you, I mean you are like a little brother or just someone we really wanna watch out for. And it pains me to say, but I am worried about the fact that you never answered my question before...Did Jos harm you in any way?" Nico Rosberg asks again, causing Max's breath to get stuck in his breath as he locks eyes with the German, trying to come up with a good answer...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to keep you waiting for that long, again, but school started everything got a bit more hectic and then I somehow managed to pull a muscle in my upper arm and I couldn't lift it up, don't ask me how I pulled that off (pun not intended)

Before Max could find an answer to the question hanging heavy in the air, a bouncy 8-year-old reappeared in his field of view, dramatically dropping onto his lap and laughing as Max jumps, since he was so lost in thought, he really didn't see her coming.

"The alpacas are soo cute Max, do you think Mom will let me get one some day? I really want one!" She pouts, probably to convince Max to get her the animal and the teenager is quick to shove all the bad thoughts and feelings about his father into the back of his mind, not wanting his sister to grow suspicious.

As he answers, nobody would have been able to tell that he was pretty close to an emotional breakdown just a few seconds prior to that: "Well, I'm not going to take any sides there, you have to ask your mom about that. Just keep in mind that somebody has to watch out for an alpaca and feed it, clean after it, take it to the vet and stuff like that..."

"We could get a butler to do it and I'll feed and pet it!" Blue Jaye answers, always quick to counter.

Max chuckles. "A Butler, sure. And who pays for the butler?"

The girl has to think about that for a few seconds, but quickly comes up with a solution to that as well: "You could pay him, you probably earn a lot as a racing driver!"

"But what would I get from that? The alpaca doesn't belong to me, I probably won't even see it most of the time and yet I have to pay the person taking care of it? I don't see why I should do that.."

"But Maaaaax, isn't it obvious? I would have an alpaca and I would be happy, so you get a happy sister. It's a win-win situation!"

That sentence draws chuckles out of everyone and Max replies with a simple: "Touché! You still have to ask you mom though," causing Blue Jaye to pout dramatically.  
The group just keeps chatting as time progresses and since it's getting dark and everyone is enjoying themselves, nobody has eyes for their surroundings anymore, so when scattered raindrops appear around them, they are caught by surprise. Everyone lends a hand as they quickly clear the table and put everything inside before they get caught by the rain completely. By the time they're seated on the couch in Dan's living room, it was raining outside moderately, though they managed to get inside before anyone was seriously wet.

Looking down, Max noticed how tired Blue Jaye seemingly got. Over the course of the past hour or so she started talking less and less and while everyone was bringing some stuff inside the eight-year-old just hung on Max's chest like a koala. Even now, she is half sitting on his lap, half laying on his chest as she keeps on yawning and yawning and Max decides it's time for her to go to bed.

He stands up, making sure he has a tight grip on his sister and exclaims: "Alright little one, it's time for you to go to bed!"

"Don't want to," comes the mumbled reply.

"Well, it's already way past your bedtime so no arguing!" the dutchman replies again, this time only earning a tired grumble.

"I'll show you the guest room, so you can lay her down," Dan states and stands up, getting Blue Jaye's little bag from where it's been standing and leading the way towards one of the guest rooms.

As soon as they are alone, Max puts Blue Jaye down and gets some PJ's out of her bag, getting her ready for bed an tucking her in before placing her plush lion next to the already half asleep girl. He smiles fondly before placing a kiss on her forehead and telling her goodnight, not sure if she even hears him, before he leaves her again, settling down next to Dan once again.

The drivers just keep on chatting and even though Nico throws him some glances here and there, Max just relaxes and tries not to think about their conversation from earlier. Right now everyone is just carefree and having a good time, including the dutchman and he doesn't really feel like talking about himself or his life anyways, so he is pretty content with just joining the ongoing conversation.

The peace doesn't last all too long though, as all of the sudden, lightning flashes through the sky, followed by a rumble a few seconds later. The teenager looks out of the window as another lightning strikes and enlightens the dark, hoping that the thunderstorm doesn't get closer than that as he knows of Blue Jaye's fear of them. Hoping for it to just quietly pass by, he tries not to think about the possibility of the thunder being loud enough to wake his sister and probably scaring her shitless in the process, instead, he just blocks it out and concentrates on the conversation about pineapple on pizza again.

It's probably just minutes later when a particularly loud thunder quietens everybody for a few seconds, most of them not expecting such a loud one at the moment.

"Nobody here is afraid of thunderstorms, right?" Lewis half-jokes and the others shake their heads and let out a few chuckles.

"You're not scared of them either, are you? You seem a bit out of it" Dan asks Max and touches his arm carefully, breaking Max's train of thought after the dutchman didn't react to Lewis' question.

"No, I am not, I'm gonna check on Blue Jaye though," Max answers absentmindedly, following his instincts, which are telling him to check on his sister right now.

And he was right to do so because as soon as he opens the door, he notices the little ball curled up in bed, slightly shaking and whimpering. He sighs and walks into the room, crouching down next to the bed, still not being able to see Blue Jaye though, because the girls pulled the covers all over her head, hiding from everything.

"Hey, Blue Jaye," Max whispers, trying not to startle the girl before pulling the covers off, revealing a crying eight-year-old. As soon as she spots him, Blue Jaye gets rid of the covers around her and dives into Max's arms, nearly causing him to fall over as he catches the scared girl, who is now seemingly clinching to him for dear life as she starts sobbing and hiding her face in the teenager's chest.

"Shh, it's okay! You're safe, Blue Jaye!" Max mumbles as he rubs comforting circles on her back, just somehow trying to get her to calm down, which seems to work before another thunder breaks the sound of the raindrops falling on the windowsill. Startled once again, Blue Jaye's crying picks up again and she presses even closer to Max, her whole body shaking with fear and the resulting sobs.

The dutchman doesn't know how long he's been sitting next to the bed, trying to calm his sister down only for another thunder to destroy all the progress he has made before Daniel sticks his head into the room: "Hey mate, I just wanted to check if everything is alright."

Max is just about to answer as another loud thunder breaks the pattern of the rain, making Blue Jaye wince and Max murmuring comforting words to her.

The Aussie crouches down next to the siblings, looking around the room and saying: "Maybe it's because she doesn't see the lighting and therefore doesn't know when another thunder is coming, that way she gets startled every time. My sun-blind is broken though, so we can't open it, but you could just take her out with you again, settle on the couch and wait it out there."

Max thinks about the suggestion for a second before turning to the girl in his arms again: "You wanna go outside and join the others on the couch again?"

The answer is a curt but certain shake of her head, making both Max and Dan frown. Just earlier she didn't want to leave the others and had a lot of time with them, but now she doesn't want to go back? That doesn't make sense at all, the former teammates share a confused look, both of them not knowing what's wrong, but eager to find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not gonna lie, this story is turning out way longer than anticipated, but I just can't keep it shorter than that...


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer chapter this time, see it as my thanks to all of you reading this story.  
> There will probably be one more chapter, just to tie up all loose ends and have a nice ending, I already have something in mind, we'll see if I can put it into words.  
> I'll (hopefully) be back soon!

A nervous feeling settles in Max's stomach as soon as Blue Jaye shakes her head, telling them she doesn't want to go out to the others again, the feeling came with confusion and anxiety, having a feeling he knows why she is reacting that way. In his head are a thousand scenarios on what could've happened and what could wrong and he is only pulled out of his thoughts when his sister whimpers after a particularly loud thunder. He shoots Daniel a pained expression and receives a look full of worry and confusion.

"Come on, Blue Jaye, talk to me. I thought you liked the others, you had so much fun earlier on. Did something happen? Did someone upset you somehow?" he tries to communicate with his sister, but only receives a frantic shake of her head as an answer.

Dan carefully places a hand on her small shoulder, softly asking: "Do you want me to leave you two again?"

Another shake of her head.

"You need to talk to us Blue Jaye, otherwise we can't help you," Max tries carefully, kissing the side of her head gently and letting his head rest against hers afterward.

"They...they're gonna...laugh...at me," she murmurs into Max's shirt. The teenager nearly missed her quiet words, frowning as soon as he hears them. That makes absolutely no sense! None of the guys made a dumb joke about her, they were all were careful, trying to make her laugh and making sure she was as comfortable as possible.

Daniel raises his eyebrows in question, he obviously wasn't able to hear the whispered words, but can probably read Max's face and guess that something is wrong. Instead of talking to the Aussie though, he replies to the little girl in his arms: "Why do you think they'd laugh at you?"

Just as Blue Jaye seemingly calmed down enough to answer him again, another thunder makes her yelp in fear and she tightly grips Max's shirt, her crying intensifying once again. The Dutchman wants to let out a few cuss words, but keeps it inside him, trying to stay calm for his sister. Luckily for him, Daniel decides to take over: "I can promise you one thing, Blue Jaye, none of these guys out there are going to laugh at you for being afraid of something. We're all scared of something and we know that it just makes us human. But I really think that it would be a good idea to go outside again. It would be way less scary for you if you could see the lightning because you would be able to anticipate what's going to come."

"And I'm right here to protect you, if anyone says something that upsets you, you just tell me and I'll deal with it. You know that I will always watch out for you, don't you?"  
Blue Jaye nods hesitantly causing a smile to tug at both the dutchman's and the Aussie's lips. Carefully they stood back up again, Max making sure to have a tight grip on his sister, slightly adjusting her so he can hold her better. Daniel sends him a last encouraging smile before they make their way out of the room again.

As soon as they step out into the hallway, the quiet conversation dies down and Max can feel all eyes resting on him and Blue Jaye. As he gets closer, he can see that everybody has a worried and carrying expression on their faces and he can't help, but smile at the sight of having so many more or less strangers worrying about his sister, it shows him once again what an impact the eight-year-old has on people.

Max feels like he is supposed to say something, but he hates standing in the center of attention especially when it comes to situations like these, so he can't bring himself to break the silence laying heavy on his shoulders. Luckily some of the others notice his discomfort and while the dutchman sits down Seb speaks up, concern filling his voice: "Hey little one, is everything alright?"

Blue Jaye slightly shakes her head and Max can see her squeezing her eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears from falling. He quickly turns his head away, now facing Daniel and giving him a pleading look, he's always hated seeing his sister upset, and to have her shaking in fear nearly breaks his heart, he'd do anything to stop that and prevent it from happening again, but he doesn't know what to do, he is just a teenager after all.

"She is scared of the thunder," Daniel explains part of the situation to their fellow drivers as Max continues to stroke Blue Jaye's back and whispers comforting words in her ear, doing everything he can to calm the girl down. As the next lightning splits the sky, the eight-year-old has her head turned towards the window and her reaction to the following thunder isn't as severe as the previous once. At that Max finds himself letting out a relieved sigh, his teammate was right how seeing the lighting would probably help.

"Well, why didn't you come out earlier? We could try to distract you for the rest of the night if you want us to," Lewis replies to Daniel's statement.

The Aussie exchanges a look with Max before answering: "Our little friend here was a bit afraid that you guys would laugh at her for crying..."

"That's nothing you'll ever have to worry about when you are with us! It is normal to be afraid of things and sometimes it's enough to make us cry. It has happened to everyone in this room, so we know better than to judge anybody for it!" Seb states and the other drivers mumble their agreements.

That seems to have caught Blue Jaye's attention because she lifts her head and sniffles: "But...but dad says I'm not supposed to..."

As soon as she said that, Max has to grid his teeth to keep him from saying anything stupid. Of course, Jos is behind all of this, he should've known that he is already pressuring her to be the "perfect child" just as he did with Max as he was younger, he just couldn't remember when he started, but he knows one thing for sure: He is not going to let that happen! He will protect his little sister with everything he has!

Lewis speaking up again is what finally breaks him out of this train of thoughts: "You know, sometimes not even grown-ups know the answer to everything and sometimes they may even say stupid stuff. We're all just humans even your dad, so it's okay for him to be wrong sometimes or to make mistakes. It's just as okay as crying! You should never feel bad for showing your emotions!"

"But I've never seen Max cry either. Is it because he is not afraid of anything?" Blue Jaye asks in response and expectantly looks at her brother.

The dutchman lets out a sigh before he answers: "But that is because when I was your age nobody told me that it's okay to cry! I had to rely on dad's opinion. You on the other hand have so many people assuring you that it's okay to do so and you can trust them. Just as it's okay to be scared sometimes, these things are what makes us human and our fears are part of who we are so we shouldn't bottle it up. Sometimes it can be hard to believe that and even I struggle with things like these, but there is always somebody you can talk to if you feel unsure or anything and sometimes it can actually be very relieving to let it all out."

"Really?" The eight-year-old asks in a timid voice and looks at him with big teary eyes.

"Really. And if you ever feel insecure about anything you just come to me, okay?"

"Okay...I love you, Max!" Blue Jaye states before she cuddles into Max's chest again, the conversation has taken her thoughts off the storm outside and she is quickly growing tired again.

"I love you too! And now go to sleep, I'll be right here!" The teenager answers and places a kiss on the top of her head. It just takes a few minutes until the girl is fast asleep given the time and the fact that all the crying probably pretty much exhausted her.

"You're a good brother Max, I hope you know that!" Daniel states suddenly causing the dutchman to blush slightly.

"And you give very mature and good advise," Sebastian adds with a small smile causing Max to snort slightly.

"Well, yeah, giving advise is certainly way easier than actually following it!" The teenager answers before Daniel places an arm around his shoulder and pulls him closer to his chest, his younger teammate now resting against while trying not to jostle his sleeping sister as he adjusts himself until he is half lying on the Aussie, who makes a content noise and tightens his grip on the dutchman's shoulder.

"Just know that you can always come to me or the others if you need us. You're our little brother as much as Blue Jaye is your little sister! We'll be by your side no matter what, after all, we're all family!"


	8. Chapter 8

**~1year later**

Another race finished, another season over. During the season time tends to fly by as if there is no tomorrow.

Sighing contently, Max takes a last look at the track before turning around to make his way, well... to another season-ending party. This time some of the drivers decided to rent a yacht for a weekend, to celebrate once more and Max has found himself looking forward to it for quite some time. Last year's party changed a lot, but this year he's looking forward to way more fun and less drama.

After Blue Jaye fell asleep on the dutchman that night, it didn't take him long before he dozed off in Daniel's arms as well. The Aussie's warm body comforting him enough to finally relax and let the exhaustion wash over his body. When he woke up the next day, he found himself still lying on the couch, nicely tucked in with his sister slowly waking up in his arms. It was a nice start to a long few weeks as he had to settle quite a few things with his family.

He left Daniel's house shortly after breakfast, not wanting to say, but having to help Kelly and bring Blue Jaye back to her mom in the process. Together they flew back to Monaco and Kelly and Blue Jaye stayed with him for a couple of days before moving to Blue Jaye's grandparents, Kelly's parents. His stepmother decided to give Jos another chance if he wanted to make this family work, but when they met again, they ended up having a huge fight and Kelly decided to divorce from Jos. Max helped her get all her belongings and even searched for a nice little apartment where Kelly and Blue Jaye moved in just the following week.

The course of events obviously took a toll on Blue Jaye, who didn't understand what was going on and who was crying most of the time thinking she had done something wrong. The girl wouldn't listen to her mom about how everything would be going to be alright, so Max took the matters into his own hands. After a few calls with Daniel and talking to Kelly he packed some things a flew to Australia for a week. That way Kelly could settle everything with the new apartment and the divorce, as well as have some time for herself, while Max distracted Blue Jaye, Daniel being the greatest helper, showing her the coolest places around his farm in Australia.

In the middle of their trip, Max sat down with his sister though, feeling the need to explain the whole situation to her, knowing how lost you can feel when your parent's divorce. He explained to her that Kelly and Jos just didn't love each other anymore, which is a natural thing that can happen to a few couples. He then proceeded to tell her that life has been hard on Jos and that he needed some help to get everything back to normal again, but how he also had trouble accepting help. Last but not least, he made sure that Blue Jaye knew none of it was her fault and that her parents still loved her and most of all, that she could always come to him if she needed anything. His sister had been very understanding at that and Max had to admit that the whole process had made her grow up faster, but as they spend some time with Daniel afterward and he saw her goofily playing around with the Aussie and few kids from the neighborhood, Max was sure that she didn't grow up all the way and was still able to enjoy the rest of her childhood.

It was January when the dutchman decided to talk to his father again, only wishing him a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and apart from that cutting all communication. To say Jos was surprised when he spotted his son standing in front of his house would be an understatement. Luckily though, he wasn't angry at him anymore, the divorce woke him up and he was okay to talk to Max, even when the latter brought up talking to a therapist. It took quite some convincing, but in the end, Jos agreed to talk to somebody and even asked Max to accompany him to his first session. Their relationship improved and they started phoning each other once a week, having normal father-son conversations. At the first race of the 2017 season, Max even managed to get both Jos and Kelly to come, much to Blue Jaye's delight, and the grown-ups were able to talk to each other like normal people again.

None of this would have been able without having some help though and it didn't take long for Max to be grateful for his sister crashing the party back in 2016. During the off-season, he stayed in close contact with most of the drivers that attended the celebration and he has been getting a lot of useful advice, mostly from Seb, Lewis, and Daniel.

Speaking of the devil, the Aussi suddenly places an arm around Max's shoulder, ripping him from his train of thoughts: "Hey, mate, what are you thinking about?"

The dutchman sends him a small smile: "Just how grateful I am for Blue Jaye to crash your party last year and how much has happened ever since."

The duo stops in front of a car, where Seb and Lewis are already waiting for them. Before he can open the door though, Daniel spins him around and hugs him tightly: "I think I've never told you that, but I think you've grown so much over the past couple of months and I'm so happy for you to open up and become this even better version of yourself and I'm soo fucking happy to call you my friend!"

The older one pulls away slightly and Max feels blush creeping up his cheeks before smiling widely: "Thank you for everything, Daniel. I don't think I've said this often enough, but thank you!" He turns around to look at Seb and Lewis: "Thank you as well, guys. I don't know where I would be without you!"

"That's what family is here for!" Seb smiles and pulls him in for a quick hug.

"And whenever you need us, we'll be here!" Lewis adds before joining the hug.

"Exactly, you'll always find us, right by your side!" Daniel exclaims before joining the group hug as well and Max has never felt so loved before.

And deep down he knows that he has found his place, those three guys gave him back hope and now his life is better than it was ever before and he couldn't find a better place than here, right at their sides!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, everybody! What a journey it's been... I started this fic thinking it would have about two or three chapters and ended it with 10 chapters and over 10000 words, which is obviously way more than anticipated.
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading, it's been a pleasure writing for all of you! Maybe we'll see each other at another fic until then, stay safe out there!


End file.
